The current apparatus relates to HPHT press apparatuses that are used for a variety of purposes including the production of super hard materials such as synthetic diamond. Typically, the manufacturing or sintering process for super hard materials in a HPHT multi-axis press comprise of placing a payload inside a high-pressure, high-temperature, reaction cell. The reaction cell, made up of a pressure-transferring medium is placed within the press's high-pressure chamber and subjected to an ultra-high compressive force. During the press cycle, the pressure inside the cell must reach 35 kilobars, or more. Simultaneously, an electrical current is passed through the cell's resistance heating mechanism raising the temperature inside the cell to above 1000.degree. C. Once the super hard payload is subjected to sufficient pressure and temperature for a prescribed period of time, the current is terminated and the cell cooled. Pressure on the cell is then released, the anvils retracted, and the cell with its super hard payload removed from the press.
The amount of compressive forces a high pressure high temperature press can exert on a given reaction cell and consequently the maximum reaction cell size and payload, are limited by the reaction forces the press can endure without catastrophic failure. Most often, the size and mass of the press determines its threshold capabilities for tonnage before catastrophic failure occurs. For example, the weight of a tie-bar press with a tonnage rating of 3000 may exceed 60 tons. The weight of a 4000-ton tie bar press may exceed 100 tons. Moreover, large tonnage press types as described above are often expensive to construct and its efficiency is typically proportional to the duration of its cycle and volume of its payload.